Digging near Harbour Commission Building uncovers city’s ancient past

29Jul

What does this excavation site reveal?

Construction for a condo tower on Queen’s Quay on Toronto’s Harbourfront has revealed a little of the city’s long-forgotten past. The photo below was taken in July of 2012, looking north from Queen’s Quay. Almost lost from view in the centre-background of the picture is a building with columns across its facade. It is behind at the top-front corner of the streetcar. It is the old Harbour Commission Building. As the condo rises, this building will no longer be visible from the Queen’s Quay. However, at one time, the building was beside the waters of the lake. All the land to the south of the Harbour Commission Building was created by landfill.

The harbour Commission Building with the construction site in front of it.

This picture shows the Harbour Commission Building in 1918. In that year, it was located besidethe waters of the lake. Plans for the building were approved in 1916, and the architectural firm of Chapman and McGiffin hired. Because it was located at the water’s edge, a protective iron railing was installed in front of it, as well as the public docking facilities near the building. Harbour Commission engineers built the foundations for the Harbour Commission Building, but the masonry work was assigned to the firm of Archibald and Holmes.

The Harbour Commission Building after the landfill project was completed. The Royal York Hotel dominated the skyline, and the tower of the Old City Hall is visible at the top of Bay Street. The top two pictures are from the Toronto Archives.

The excavation for the modern high-rise condo has dug into the area of landfill to the south of the Harbour Commission Building. Water has seeped into the site, as the digging is now below the level of the lake.

A close-up view reveals the layers of sedimentary rock that in ancient times was beneath the water of Lake Iroquois. The lake at one time covered Toronto as far north as Davenport Road, which was the shoreline of this ancient lake. Above the layers of rock is the landfill that was dumped to reclaim the land from the harbour.

The excavation site for the condo, and the Harbour Commission Building to the south of it.